Stargate: A Job?
by NavyReservist
Summary: This part is where Daniel meets Catherine. I own no characters here my character will be revealed later on Aybdos!


Note I do not own any character in this chapter and will not reveal my character till on the planet Aybdos.

An old woman, carrying a padded folder under her arm walks up the stairs of the hotel lobby looking for something. She is wearing the eye of Ra pendant—she is Catherine in the present day.

Catherine spots a sign that reads: "Symposium Ancient Egypt—THE OLD KINGS and THE IVth DYNASTY, Alameda Room, 2-4 pm." Someone can be heard speaking in the room. She heads in that direction.

DANIEL-"...then there are symbols painted everywhere: names, titles of owners, lists of offerings."

Catherine enters the crowded Alameda room. She stands by the doorway, watching the proceedings. Daniel Jackson is giving the lecture.

DANIEL-"Every other architectural structure at the time was covered with detailed hieroglyphics. When is the academic community going to accept the fact the Pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty did not build the great pyramids?"

Many of the audience begin to mutter amongst themselves.

DANIEL-"Look, look—inside the pyramid, the most incredible structure ever erected, there are no writings whatsover. And—"

THOMAS- "Doctor Jackson, you've left out the fact that Colonel Vyse discovered inscriptions with Khufu's name—"

DANIEL- "Right..."

Daniel nods, raising a finger and starting to write on his blackboard.

THOMAS continuing- "...within the pyramid."

DANIEL- "Well, his discovery was a fraud."

Outraged mutterings come from amongst the audience. Some start to laugh.

THOMAS- "I don't think you'll prove it."

HECKLER- "Well, who do you think built the pyramids?"

Everyone stays silent, awaiting Daniel's answer.

DANIEL- "I don't have any idea who built them...I mean,"

HECKLER- "Men from Atlantis? Or Martians perhaps?"

People begin walking out of the room, laughing and scoffing with comments that can be overheard like "what a joke" or "which is the bigger myth?"

DANIEL- "The point is not who built them; the point is when they were built. I mean—we all know new geological evidence dates the Sphinx back to a much earlier period. And knowing this, I think, we have to begin to reevaluate everything we've come to accept about..."

Only one man in the front row remains. He awkwardly stands. Daniel steps off the podium to address him directly.

DANIEL- "I-I mean, I've been able to show a fully developed writing systems appeared in the first two dynasties, you know, which you know, almost as if it was based on an even earlier prototype."

Catherine backs away. Daniel and the lone remaining man look around the now empty room.

DANIEL- "Is there a lunch or something that everybody...?"

Rain pours down as Daniel, carrying two large suitcases, exits the hotel entrance. He pulls his jacket's hood over his head to provide some protection and tries to cover his one suitcase with his coat. An uniformed man with an umbrella approaches from a car parked just outside the hotel.

KAWALSKI- "Doctor Jackson?"

DANIEL-"What? Yes?"

KAWALSKI-

"Someone wants to speak with you."

In the car Catherine flips through a file, which includes a diploma from UCLA, as the officer continues to talk to Daniel.

DANIEL- "The Air Force? What's this? What is this?"

KAWALSKI- "Could you step over to the car, please."

Catherine glances over just as Daniel bends down and squints to look inside, while still several feet away.

KAWALSKI- "Sir?"

DANIEL- "Am I going somewhere?"

The car driver, also standing with an umbrella just outside the door, opens it for Daniel as he approaches.

KAWALSKI- "You're going to be fine. We'll take care of these."

He takes Daniel's shoulder bag as Daniel cautiously drops his other suitcase and sits in the car. He warily looks at Catherine. She passes over a photograph of a smiling couple playing with a baby.

CATHERINE- "Jackson, are those your parents?"

Daniel glances from her to the photograph, his motion to lower his hood arrested for a moment.

DANIEL-"Foster parents."

Catherine replaces the photograph and continues to look at the file.

DANIEL- "Wha-what is this all about?"

CATHERINE- "A job."

DANIEL with a nervous chuckle-"What kind of a job?"

CATHERINE-"Translation. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Interested?"

Catherine smiles at him. Daniel continues to look at her.

DANIEL-"I-I'm gonna go now."

CATHERINE-"Go where?" She chuckles before continuing, "I mean, you've just been evicted from your apartment. Your grants have run out. Everything you own are in those two bags. Want to prove that your theories are right? This is your chance."

She holds out an envelope, gesturing for him to take it. Daniel glances from her to the envelope before taking it.

DANIEL- "What's this?"

CATHERINE- "Travel plans."

Daniel struggles to come up with a response, when the door opens. Daniel's still opening the envelope.

KAWALSKI- "Sir?"

Daniel looks back at Catherine, who gives him a small smile. He raises his hood again an steps out of the car.

The driver starts up the car while Daniel is still opening the envelope. Kawalski steps around him and gets in next to Catherine. The car drives off as Daniel looks at a plane ticket before looking back at the departing car.


End file.
